After two days of refraining they traded up to draft a quarterback, targeting free-falling Matt Barkley of the University of Southern California.

While the West Coast golden boy set a ton of Pac-12 records with slightly more foot speed than Nick Foles, he’s anything but a candidate to run the read-option offense. Barkley also is coming off a sprained shoulder which undoubtedly red-flagged him on some boards.

Undeterred, the Eagles trudged on. Adding to the intrigue is that they maneuvered ahead of Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs to take Barkley off the board with the first pick of the fourth round.

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“We had Matt rated in the top 50 players in the draft,” Eagles head coach Chip Kelly said. “There was no better value for us to open today and we took Matt. He’s the all-time leading passer in USC history. He’s one of the great all-time quarterbacks to play in the Pac-12. … He has all the intangibles you’re looking for.

“He’s coming off injury but he did not have an operation. Maybe some people evaluated it a little bit differently just because he’s coming off it. If you do what everybody talks about and go to the film and go his body of work, he’s had an outstanding career.”

One year ago Barkley was considered a first-round pick, not the 98th selection. But he returned for his senior season with the Trojans, sprained his throwing shoulder and costing himself millions. The Eagles were one of the last places the four-year starter expected to land.

“I did not see it coming,” Barkley said on a conference call. “I had a great meeting with (Eagles assistant) Bill Lazor when he came out to USC to work me out. I’ve had a pretty solid relationship with Coach Kelly over the last couple of years playing against each other.

“This comes as a breath of fresh air. It’s a new beginning. No matter when it happened I’m just glad to have a home and a place to start working to start my career.”

Kelly and general manager Howie Roseman had Barkley (6-3, 227) in their crosshairs before the draft began Saturday. They shipped their fourth-round pick and a seventh-rounder to the Jaguars to move ahead of the Chiefs, who had been three spots in front of the Eagles.

Now the Eagles might be able to dump one of their quarterbacks on Reid, who drafted Foles, signed Michael Vick in free agency and is giving Alex Smith another chance.

Barkley says he’s a full go for minicamps. He’s eager to demonstrate the arm strength is there. Barkley wasn’t 100 percent at his pro day, with too many passes sailing on him.

“The Eagles believe in me and are willing to give me a chance,” Barkley said. “So I’m looking forward from here on out. No matter where you end up it’s the beginning of the next chapter, the next story of your life. It’s the same with me. I’m just looking forward to working even harder.”

Rest assured the arm isn’t an issue for Kelly, although he wasn’t at Barkley’s workouts.

“He can deliver the ball,” Kelly said. “We’re not trying to knock over milk cartons at a county fair.”

The addition of Barkley is another indication that Kelly is thinking of going in another direction offensively. Then again, Kelly has maintained that he tailors the offense to the skills of his players, including the quarterback. Barkley hinted the Eagles might not be running the pure Kelly offense but rather an up-tempo hybrid.

“From what I hear it’s not going to look exactly the same as it was at Oregon,” Barkley said. “The team is different. The personnel is different than what he had last year. They a pro-style coaching staff. If they stick to that then I’ll work in it, I’ll be a part of that offense.”

At USC, Barkley went 1-3 against Oregon, where Kelly coached. Barkley completed 61.7 percent of his throws with a dozen touchdowns and six interceptions.

Kelly rewound to Barkley’s freshman year and a road game at Oregon.

“It didn’t faze him a bit,” Kelly said. “Matt Barkley was never a freshman. There was just a poise about him. There was a calm about him … Those intangible qualities that you really look for.”

And so there are five quarterbacks Kelly wants to evaluate during the offseason and training camp. He insists the competition is open.

Which is fine with Matt Barkley, who thinks he can get the job done.

“My mindset is I’m starting Day 1,” Barkley said. “Whatever happens, whatever the situation is that has to be your mindset … Coming in and competing like it’s your job.”